Does Unconditional Cash during Pregnancy Affect Infant Health?

Krista Ruffini

No 72, Opportunity and Inclusive Growth Institute Working Papers from Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis

Abstract: This paper examines how cash transfers that are not conditional on employment affect infant health. Leveraging variation in the amount of pandemic-era stimulus and child tax credit payments that families received based on household composition, I find that an additional $100 in transfers reduces the prevalence of low birthweight by 2-3 percent. Effects are larger for payments received later in pregnancy, but are of a similar magnitude across the population. These additional resources increased prenatal care and improved maternal health in ways that are consistent with families both increasing investments in children's health and improving the prenatal environment.

Keywords: Infant health; Tax policy; Cash transfers (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: H24 I12 I38 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2023-05-18
New Economics Papers: this item is included in nep-mfd
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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:fip:fedmoi:96191

DOI: 10.21034/iwp.72

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